[kwlug-disc] Cross platform, cross-protocol messaging client

Fri Dec 5 15:59:27 EST 2014

Unfortunately, if a platform insists on using a closed, proprietary,
difficult-to-reverse-engineer protocol, you're stuck either using their
closed, proprietary app or avoiding it altogether (which is my preference).

Darcy.

On Fri, Dec 5, 2014 at 11:49 AM, CrankyOldBugger <crankyoldbugger at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Yes, that would work, but we're still unable to address the issue of "I
> want one ring to rule them all", err.. "one client client that can handle
> all protocols, without add-ins, or other chats running in the background,
> or death by plugins, etc.)
>
> Basically I want one program running, cross platform of course, that
> listens to my MSN, Google, ICQ, SMS lines, flips to video with a Skype call
> comes in, etc.  On paper, it sounds simple. but in real life, it's much
> more complicated.
>
> I'm guessing, based on the responses here, that such a beast does not
> exist, and (thanks to proprietary systems) probably won't exist for a long
> time.
>
> It's a shame, since there are so many good chat clients out there, but
> each one insists that you get all of your friends to download and join as
> well, thus further adding to the problem...
>
>
> On Fri Dec 05 2014 at 11:42:19 AM Khalid Baheyeldin <kb at 2bits.com> wrote:
>
>> Android phone or tablet. Works with Skype, GotoMeeting, Viber, Hangouts,
>> ...
>>
>> You can install/uninstall the app when needed/after use.
>>
>> On Fri, Dec 5, 2014 at 11:37 AM, William Park <opengeometry at yahoo.ca>
>> wrote:
>> > Well, if company wants to do Skype interview, you don't have much
>> > choice.
>> > --
>> > William
>> >
>> > On Fri, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:11:57AM -0500, Andrew Mercer wrote:
>> >> Why use Skype except to video chat with relatives that live far away at
>> >> Christmas time? It then only becomes a once a year requirement to run
>> that
>> >> piece of junk!
>> >>
>> >> ---
>> >> Andrew Mercer
>> >> www.andrewmercer.net
>> >>
>> >> On 2014-12-05 04:28, B.S. wrote:
>> >> >If Skype is in the mix, no way around needing multiple applications.
>> >> >
>> >> >Confusion isn't just different iterations of gtalk -> hangouts, it's
>> >> >different availability by platform. e.g. voice / chat inconsistently
>> >> >implemented across platforms (e.g. gmail), gtalk only no hangouts on
>> >> >bb (iirc), I forget which or both for iPhone, ...
>> >> >
>> >> >Cranky, you may be as well off looking at voip with jabber/chat
>> >> >facilities as pidgin or anything else - if you have to change, may as
>> >> >well change to the most functionality possible for fewer apps to
>> >> >master. Skype is unavoidable. With time you can move people over (if
>> >> >you have VoIP {something} VoIP clients can call you free - they don't
>> >> >need their own VoIP service or anything), but you'll never get 100%
>> >> >success. Linphone and Ekiga come to mind.
>> >> >
>> >> >Reading between the lines, you have a high Skype WAF, and I doubt
>> >> >you'll ever move her off. As a result, she'll probably add more people
>> >> >to it for chat before you'll get her to migrate to something else.
>> >> >(For her it ain't broken, doesn't need fixing .. ?)
>> >> >
>> >> >Good luck! We feel your pain.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >On 12/04/2014 08:37 PM, Nick Guenther wrote:
>> >> >>I've had mixed results with this. It seems that at least if the other
>> >> >>end is using the old style gtalk web client, I can still add people.
>> >> >>The confusion probably comes because gmail end-user types probably
>> >> >>don't notice if they're on Hangouts, old web gtalk, or Windows
>> >> >>GTalk.
>> >> >>
>> >> >>On December 4, 2014 2:12:02 PM EST, Jason Locklin
>> >> >><locklin.jason at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> >>>Skype is a complete black box. Libpurple, and the various clients
>> >> >>>that use it (like Pidgin, Adium, Bitlbee, etc) can pretend to have
>> >> >>>Skype text chat functionality by running Skype in the background
>> >> >>>and accessing the friend list and chats via an API.
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>Google has also been transitioning away from XMPP/Jabber with
>> >> >>>their Hangouts. The Jabber interface for the 1-on-1 chat in Gmail
>> >> >>>is still available, but who knows for how long, and, from what I
>> >> >>>understand, adding new people now to your friend list may not be
>> >> >>>possible.
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>
>> >> >>>On 14-12-04 12:18 PM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:
>> >> >>>>You can interface with Google Talk through many clients, but you
>> >> >>>>will not have Hangout video/audio capabilities.
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>>Skype is a proprietary protocol and to my knowledge was never
>> >> >>>>fully supported for voice on any of the open clients.
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>>Since the other parties you are connecting to are already on
>> >> >>>>these services, alternative protocols are seldom an option.
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>>
>> >> >>>>On Thu, Dec 4, 2014 at 12:06 PM, CrankyOldBugger
>> >> >>>><crankyoldbugger at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >> >>>>>Does anyone out there know of a good cross-platform (Linux,
>> >> >>>>>Windows
>> >> >>>and
>> >> >>>>>Android) messaging client that can import and handle Skype,
>> >> >>>>>Google Talk/Hangouts, and IRC friends lists?  As it sits, I
>> >> >>>>>have at least
>> >> >>>three
>> >> >>>>>different messaging clients running at any one time, I'd like
>> >> >>>>>to
>> >> >>>roll them
>> >> >>>>>all into one app if possible...
>> >> >>>>>
>> >> >>>>>I've used Pidgin before but I found the Skype addons a bit
>> >> >>>>>flaky..
>> >> >
>> >> >
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>> >>
>> >>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Khalid M. Baheyeldin
>> 2bits.com, Inc.
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>>
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